


inspire ♪

by omanjuu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: (or kind of slow burn idk man), Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-25 23:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omanjuu/pseuds/omanjuu
Summary: " inspire him to write a dozen love songs, huh... wonder if that'll be easier than it sounds. he doesn't look like the sort who'd write songs - let alone love songs - and i'm not the sort of person who... inspires others. "or, it's just another fake dating au where composer leo is paired up with closed-off model izumi for songwriting inspiration (and maybe something more)





	1. sena izumi

“Tsukinaga-san, can I have your attention please?”

Without batting an eyelash, Leo moves on to scribbling on another napkin. “Give me a second, okay? Lemme finish this...”

“Tsukinaga-san, I really need-”

“Hey!” Leo looks up, his hand still flying across the napkin. “I said a second, alright? Besides, you hire me to write songs — why are you getting in the way of me perfecting my masterpiece?”

With a flourish, he completes this ‘masterpiece’ of his, and presents his six napkins to his boss. Boss takes them, and looks through them. Then he takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Tsukinaga-san,” he says, his pronunciation of each syllable immaculate as ever, “I do acknowledge and very much appreciate your talent and work. But when you produce songs titled ‘The World is Like a Meatball’, and the chorus just repeats the phrase ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ ten times — I’m afraid sometimes I cannot take you seriously.”

“Hey, you watch your mouth! This song’ll be in the top charts, just you wait!”

Boss’s smile is patient as he fixes his glasses back in place. “I’ll take your word for it then. That aside-” he pauses to check his watch “-I have a more pressing matter to discuss with you.”

“Hm?” Leo cocks his head. “What’s up, Boss?”

“By any chance, do you recall our conversation about how we would like you to write more love songs?”

“Yes?” Leo prompts, and he narrows his eyes. There’s something about Boss’s tone... something that feels not quite right. “I already told you, I don’t have much experiences with romance and all that kind of stuff! I write them time to time okay, be content with that!”

“Yes, those songs you write ‘time to time’ are wonderful, and are the types of songs that actually go on to be in top charts.” Boss places the napkins on the table gingerly. “That’s why... our agency wants to harness this potential in you, and give you the experience of a romantic relationship to write more of these love songs.”

It takes a while for Leo to register what exactly Boss means, but when he does, he springs to his feet with such vigour his chair just about topples over. “W-what? Wait, what did you say?”

“I said we’re going to have someone act as your romantic partner.” Boss smiles. “Do you have any qualms about that?”

“Yes! Yes I do! You know I’m not into girls, don’t you Boss? I’m not gonna write any love songs by pairing me up with some girl — inspiration doesn’t come so easily!”

“Ah, that I know well. You need not worry, Tsukinaga-san, I have taken that into consideration and have enlisted a young man to be your romantic partner.”

“I-I see.” Leo pauses, racking his brain for another way to escape this sticky situation. “W-well, you know I’m not that shallow too, right? I won’t just fall in love with any guy — I have standards too!”

“Again, you need not worry,” Boss says. “We have chosen a top notch candidate for you. You’ll see soon.”

“S-soon? What?”

“Oh, did I forget to inform you?” Boss asks, sounding as if he hadn’t forgotten anything at all. “He’ll be arriving shortly, and the two of you will be heading out for dinner together afterwards.”

“T-that’s way too sudden! You can’t spring this all on me suddenly!”

Boss sighs. “I apologise if this news is unexpected, but we would very much like you to cooperate. Think about how much - what do you call it - ‘inspiration’ you can get from this experience.”

“I can get inspiration without this experience, thank you very much,” Leo snaps back. But he’s cornered, and knows there’s no way out. If anything, he needs to make a scene...

There’s a fashion magazine lying discarded on the table, so Leo seizes this last chance and grabs it. The male model on the front page stares back at him; his eyes shine, bearing the warmth of a star-speckled night sky, and are enshrined between the slanted curves of thick, dark lashes. Light falls and his cheekbones glow a sheen of silver. And though he’s barely smiling he’s glowing with such energy, such sheer charm that his gaze alone could make a man’s knees weak.

It is in that unwavering gaze that Leo finds his escape.

“Oh my God!” he cries out, throwing his arms to the air as dramatically as possible. “Boss! Boss, have you not seen this?”

An eyebrow is raised. “Seen what, exactly?”

“This! Man!” Leo thrusts his finger at the male model’s face. “Look at him! This is...uh-“ he pauses to search for the model’s name on the front page “-Sena? Sena Izumi? Yeah! This is Sena Izumi! What a treat to the eyes, don’t you think? You know what? I think he’s my muse! Just looking at him fills me with boundless inspiration — I could pen down a dozen love songs right now!

“It’s hopeless to set me up with anyone now, Boss. This... this Sena Izumi has stolen my heart. No one else can wrestle it back from him — no one at all! That’s why you should call up that guy and fire him! Tell him not to come anymore! Won’t work! Right, Boss?”

He’s gone on on a tangent long enough for Boss to remove his glasses and sigh in pure agony again, but Boss doesn’t. Instead he watches almost too nonchalantly as Leo runs out of steam; watches as though he’s somewhat amused.

“So if I am to surmise the gist of your argument,” says Boss, “you mean to say you will not accept anyone to play as your faux boyfriend — except for this ‘Sena Izumi’. Am I right?”

“Yeah! Absolutely!”

Something tugs at Boss’ lips, and Leo falters. What... what is going on?

“Well then, I suppose this makes everything much simpler.”

“...Huh?”

There’s a sharp knock at the door, and someone calls out, “Excuse me, can we enter? We have an appointment with Tsukinaga Leo and his Boss.”

“Yes, please do,” Boss calls back, and Leo’s heart plunges to the floor the second his eyes lock on the person who enters the room.

Each step he takes is precise - almost calculated - and when he stops and stands, it is with poise. Curiously cold eyes scan the room yet acknowledge no one; then he pushes his bangs up, teasing Leo with a peek of his forehead.

In person, Sena Izumi is ten times more attractive.

“Pardon the intrusion,” says the lady beside him. “I am Sena Izumi-san’s manager. A pleasure meeting you.”

The other three in the room hurry to repeat her greeting, but every word that leaves Leo’s mouth is like hot sand.

Izumi catches his eye and smiles at him; his smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! you probably have no idea who i am but that's okay!!! i've been dead for really long but i've had this plot bunny for much longer - so long that i've fully fleshed it out in my head and i should probably get cracking and write it.
> 
> i used to write one multi-chapter fic a year but didn't get to do so last year ;u; it's probably bc i was super busy, and i'll probably be super busy this year too. that's why updates on this series will be kind of... yeah
> 
> but since this was a really short chapter with not much progress, i have finished chapter 2 and am starting on chapter 3! i'll post ch2 shortly, but the rest will depend on circumstances rippp
> 
> anyway thanks for checking my fic out! hope you enjoyed it (and that i'll be able to finish it bc i really! really like this story!)


	2. first date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wwell shortly became more than a week bc of school stuff ;w; anyway! here's chapter 2~

It’s been a solid ten minutes, and that Tsukinaga Leo hasn’t stopped ogling at him.

‘Jeez,’ Izumi thinks to himself. ‘How rude. Weren’t you raised not to stare at someone? At least be a bit more subtle.’

But Izumi cannot afford to be so snide; very soon, he’ll need to be the Prince Charming his agency so portrays him to be, and win Leo’s heart with his charming good looks and equally charming personality.

Izumi almost laughed the first time he was told this. “Don’t laugh!” Manager chides him. “You can’t be yourself with your clients. If you show how closed-off and harsh you are, you’re going to waste that face of yours and end up never being hired again!”

Thinking back, Izumi allows himself a small sigh. It’s not like he _wanted_ to be hired to act as the boyfriend of some rich men and women, but working for a shitty model agency doesn’t make ends meet all the time. He needs to steel himself, and get the next job over with as soon as possible.

‘Inspire him to write a dozen love songs, huh... Wonder if that’ll be easier than it sounds. He doesn’t look like the sort who’d write songs - let alone love songs - and I’m not the sort of person who... inspires others.’

Having mastered the art of subtlety, Izumi’s eyes slide over to Leo. Unkempt orange hair is tucked away in the sloppiest ponytail he’s ever seen in his life, and Izumi’s pretty sure there’s at least three spots developing at three different parts of Leo’s face. Well, it’s not like the people who buy boyfriends are necessarily attractive... but at the very least Leo looks better than a lot of his prior clients. If he squints - squints, mind you - Leo doesn’t look half bad.

After all, the pair of eyes that have been fixed on him ever since he stepped into the room are very... very pretty.

‘So what if they’re pretty?’ Izumi challenges himself. ‘Will that make my job easier?’

Leo’s eyes hold him in their all-encompassing gaze, and Izumi is reminded how no matter how many times he’s been hired, each job as is arduous as the first.  


♪

Boss and Manager’s droning ends, and Leo and Izumi are packed into a private limousine to their dinner location. Only silence speaks between them, interrupted by Izumi occasionally flipping through a notebook and penning down something.

‘Guess I’m the one who’s supposed to make the first move, huh,’ Leo thinks to himself. Maybe he should just shut up the whole time and the date would flop and everything would be over. But it’s the cutting awkwardness of the situation and indescribable fascination Leo has that prompts him to speak.

“S-Sena, right?” he tries, his voice almost cracking. Almost. “Uh... thanks for being my fake boyfriend, I guess.”

Okay, that didn’t go well. Even for someone as dense as he is, Leo hears how stupid he sounds, and cringes.

For a split second, Leo swears he sees Izumi’s eyes glaze over, but then they’re closed, pleasant in half-laughter. “What on Earth are you saying, Tsukinaga-san?” Izumi says. “There’s no reason to thank me — in fact, I believe our relationship can develop much better if we ignore the whole ‘fake boyfriend’ shtick. That, and feel free to refer to me as Izumi instead. This way, we can close this gap of formality between us.”

“Hm? But Sena, I-”

The moment the word ‘Sena’ leaves his mouth, Izumi bends his neck down and jots something down on his notebook.

Leo blinks. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m just recording some pointers about you so I can adapt to be a better boyfriend for you. Don’t worry about it, this is only in the preliminary stages.”

That doesn’t sit right with Leo. And he doesn’t know why.

“But...”

“It’s much more natural for me to formulate an idea about you, and thereby act by it,” goes Izumi, twirling his pen. “For one, if you’re so disconcerted about the whole ‘fake’ element of our relationship look at it this way — I’m not asking you ‘what’s your type’ like in some methodically sterile interview. I’m getting to know you, and making sure I don’t forget anything about it.”

Natural? If he thinks that writing down stuff about your romantic partner and fitting yourself to be their ideal type is natural, Izumi’s seriously got a screw loose.

“Then,” he says, “what did you just write about me?”

“...Excuse me?”

“Here’s something for you to jot down too,” Leo says hotly, making sure he locks eyes with Izumi, “I like people who are honest with me — that’s why I don’t try to hide myself or pretend to be someone else in front of anyone. I want them to know me and like me for who I am.

“That’s why I want you to be honest with me, and tell me what you wrote down about me.”

He pauses, taking deep, heavy breaths. Izumi stares back at him, his mouth shaped in a ‘o’ in surprise; then his eyes darken and he looks down.

“Be honest, huh,” he mutters, but before Leo can reply he looks back up with that picture perfect smile. “I understand. Well, if you insist, I wrote that you refer to people by their surnames. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Isn’t that a stupid thing to write down, Leo wants to ask, but that would make him seem as if he knew he overreacted. “Oh.”

Izumi twirls his pen again, waiting for Leo to say something else. But when he doesn’t, Izumi closes his notebook and looks out of the window.

The conversation is over.

♪

The strange, tense air follows them into dinner. Making conversation has always been second nature to Leo, but this time dinner is so halting, so staccato he doesn’t know where to begin and where to end.

“Thanks for the meal,” says Izumi, rising to pay for the bill. Leo looks down at his plate, wondering when the two finished dinner.

The limousine takes them both home, Leo first. Izumi accompanies him to his doorstep.

“Looks like a nice apartment complex,” Izumi comments, looking around.

“Yeah, it’s not too bad.”

Leo stops before his door, and turns. “Thanks for walking me all the way home. You didn’t have to, y’know.”

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine.” Izumi smiles; his fingers find Leo’s chin, and tilts it upwards.

In spite of himself, Leo’s heart beats. He can feel the distance closing between them, and can feel the heat of Izumi’s body.

He closes his eyes.

But the contact doesn’t come.

“I don’t think we... you’re ready yet,” says Izumi as Leo’s eyes open. He flinches when their eyes meet, and his hand lowers to his side. “My apologies.”

Leo wants to - no, he needs to, he aches to - speak. Yet he’s paralysed by how hard and fast his heart beats, and can’t do anything but watch Izumi leave. He reaches for his chin, feeling for Izumi’s long gone touch; Leo wonders what the hell is wrong with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading chapter 2! it's quite a slow build right now but don't worry! next chapter is when we'll see their relationship develop for the better! i promise!
> 
> also thank you vvvv much for your support for the first chapter i'm (;﹏;) i'll do my best to keep going for izuleo hehe ♡


	3. melt

“God, he pisses me off so much!”

Madara laughs as Leo slams his drink onto the table. “Haha, I wonder how many times you’ve said that about him already!” 

“I don’t know, and I don’t care!” Leo proclaims, legs kicking out against the air. “He just... ugh, he pisses me off! Mama, give me a pen — I wanna write about how pissed off I am!”

“Hey now, hey now,” goes Madara, passing Leo both a pen and blank paper. “At least he listened to you and stopped taking notes about you during dinner, didn’t he? That’s a major improvement, isn’t it?”

“Uh, no?” Leo makes a face as he scribbles something illegible. “That’s not the biggest thing that pisses me off about him. The biggest, _biggest_ thing that pisses me off about Sena is how dishonest he is!”

“Dishonest?”

“Yeah! Like he’s deliberating hiding his true self from me! I hate it!”

Madara leans back, thinking. “Mm, isn’t it just because he’s being paid to act as your boyfriend? Of course he’s going to be a little bit dishonest to pretend to be in love with you and everything.”

“Nah Mama, you don’t get it,” Leo says, pausing mid-verse. “It’s not just me he’s being dishonest with — he’s also being dishonest with himself.”

“Really?”

Leo nods emphatically. “I’m a pretty good judge of character, y’know?”

“Of course, of course!” Madara pacifies him, laughing. “What are you going to do about it then, Leo-san? How are you going to force ‘Sena’-san’ to be honest with you... and with himself?”

“Hell if I know.” Leo strikes off a few lines and scowls. “I still have twelve more love songs to write and tonight’s date to get through. But hell — third time’s the charm!”

♪

Third time jolly well be the charm — Leo is going mad thinking of how to provoke Izumi, and force him to abandon the façade he donned.

“Being super duper annoying is the best way to go...” Leo mutters. “But what would annoy him... hm... Being loud? Or maybe really nosy? Or being brazen? Hmm, what about-”

“What are you mumbling to yourself about?”

“U-uwah!” Izumi seems rather amused by Leo’s reaction. “My, I didn’t know I was so horrific.”

“Y-you just caught me off-guard, that’s all!” Leo insists, stomping on the ground. But he can’t be led on by Izumi; he needs to start hammering away Izumi’s perfectly curated mask before he goes insane. “You’re not nice at all, Sena!”

“I’m not nice? Oh, how you hurt my feelings, Tsukinaga-san.” 

Leo sticks out his tongue. “‘Tsukinaga-san’... that sounds so stiff. I don’t like it.”

“Is that so?” Izumi says, smiling. “Then, how would you like me to address you?”

“Hm...” This is his chance, and Leo thinks hard. “Ah! I wanna be treated like royalty!”

“Royalty?” Izumi echoes, and there is an edge to his voice Leo hasn’t heard before; bingo. He composes himself, and continues, “Royalty, huh? As in Tsukinaga... Tsukinaga-sama?”

“Nah, that still sounds super stiff.”

“...Then would you like to be addressed like a prince, or a king? Hm, like Ou-sama?”

The sheer hilarity of Izumi calling him ‘Ou-sama’ has him bursting out in laughter. “Hey, why not! I like it! ‘Ou-sama’ it is!”

“Are you serious? You want me to call you Ou-sama?” Izumi isn’t checking his tone right now. “That’s got to be fuc... well, it’s a crazy thing to demand, but if that is how you would like me to address you by, then I shall abide by it, Ou-sama.”

Cracks are showing, and Leo beams.

“Yay! Oh look, the limo is here, let’s go!”

“E-eh, Tsuki... Ou-sama, why are you dragging me by my arm? I’m right with you..!”

♪

More and more cracks show as the night progresses. Izumi is at a loss for words as Leo chatters away at the speed of light in the limousine: pointing out street signs, dusting at Izumi’s hair, laughing at anything and everything under the sun.

On hindsight, Leo hasn’t been as obnoxiously boisterous as he usually is before Izumi. Conversation in the past two dates had been awfully strained, but now forcing himself to be unfazed and annoy the living lights out of Izumi seems to be so much better.

“What should we get?” Izumi says, leafing through the menu. His eyes rest warily on the pages, almost hoping Leo doesn’t reply him.

“I don’t know! I could eat a horse now though — I’m starving! Maybe we should order one of everything on a menu! Wait, but then do we one of every drink too? Sena, are you thirsty? I don’t think I’m very thirsty, b-”

“You know what, how about we get the couple’s set meal.” Izumi snaps the menu shut, and Leo is pleased to see how tightly he clutches at the leather binds of the menu. “A bottle of red wine with two plates of spaghetti bolognese and dessert afterwards. Perfect.”

If Izumi thinks the night will be ‘perfect’ just because he puts an end to Leo’s nonsense once, he’s grossly mistaken. He sits through Leo haggling with the waitress over changing the bottle of wine to a jug of apple juice rigidly, and he raises his voice a bit too much when Leo jokes about using the tablecloth as his canvas. Leo watches him take tiny sips of apple juice between grimaces; Izumi has got to be at his wit’s end.

Just look at him! The moment Leo speaks, his face burns red, and he fidgets about his his seat, eyeing the other diners warily.

‘Maybe he’s the kind who cares a lot about what others think of him,’ Leo thinks to himself, following Izumi’s line of vision. ‘Then... he could snap if I attract too much unwanted attention. Hmm...’ Leo doesn’t have to think too much; opportunity is served atop two plates of steaming spaghetti, and his eyes flash at the sight of food.

“Spaghetti... bolognese.”

“...Well, that’s what we ordered,” Izumi says, a careful note to his voice. “Shall we eat then?”

“I just remembered,” Leo says, still transfixed on the spaghetti, “that I wrote a song about spaghetti bolognese some time ago.”

Izumi doesn’t know how to respond to that. “Uh... is that so?”

Leo looks up, and meets Izumi’s gaze; Izumi pales at Leo’s feverish grin. “Do you wanna hear it, Sena?”

“I... uh I don’t think that this is the time t-”

“The world is round,” shrieks Leo, “like a meatball! Full of substance, like a meatball! Full of love, like a meatball!

“Therefore I conclude that ah! The world is like a meatball~♪”

He’s barely into the first verse, and already he’s drawing the attention of the other diners. Izumi notices it too, and burns.

“H-hey, cut it out! You can sing it to me later, not right now when everyone is watching!”

“So what if everyone is watching?” Leo breaks out of his song to refute Izumi. “It’s a good song, you know!”

“I’m sure it’s good, but j-”

“So at the end of the night when I’m all alone,” Leo ontinues, glowing from the attention, “and I cry and cry that I’m on my own~ the only thing that keeps me from going crazy, is the world on top of spaghetti bolognese~♪”

The confused whispers resonate as a buzz of unison, and Izumi squirms in his seat, beyond mortified.

“Stop, please just stop already!”

“Stop? I haven’t even reached the best part yet — the chorus!”

“O-Ou-sama, I begging you, plea-”

“Spaghetti bolognese~♪ Spaghetti bolognese~♪ Spaghetti bolognese~♪”

With each ‘spaghetti bolognese’, Leo gets louder and louder, to the point that he’s screaming more than he’s singing.

“Spaghetti bolognese~♪ Spaghetti bolognese~♪ Spaghetti b-”

“ENOUGH!”

That’s it. Leo doesn’t know what exactly made Izumi explode, nor did he expect the how potent his fury could be.

“Enough already!” he thunders on. It’s dead silent, and between Izumi’s deep, haggard breaths, he grips onto his plate threateningly. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Can you just shut the fuck up already? God, I’ve had enough!”

Leo tries, “But-”

“I told you to shut the _fuck up_!”

The plate of spaghetti is hurled with vehemence, and lands smack on Leo.

“Oh my God...”

“What’s going on...”

“They’re definitely not okay...”

The act stirs another wave of murmurs, but Izumi is almost too consumed in everything to pay heed. His whole being is naked, vulnerable and frothing; before Leo he stands with the eyes of a Berserker, flashing and blazing on for what seems to be eternity.

“This has been the worst day of my life,” Izumi suddenly whimpers, clutching at his hair. “I swear to fucking God, I-”

“Sir.”

The plate slides off Leo’s face with a clatter, and little round worlds spill onto ground. The waiter stands before the two, his smile taut.

“You’ve caused enough of a scene. I’m afraid we have to ask the two of you to leave.”

♪

“T...Thank you very much! Please visit us again!”

The car park outside the convenience store is empty, save for Izumi sitting alone on the wheel stopper, brooding. The light from the street lamps capture him in its hollow shine, and Leo thinks Izumi looks beautiful.

“Jeez,” he goes, letting Izumi know of his presence before he sits beside him, “the girl at the counter kept staring at me like a freak! She probably thought that all that sauce on my shirt was blood or something. Sena, it’s all your fault!”

Izumi doesn’t say anything for a while, but then he says very quietly, “It’s not my fault. It’s yours.”

“Aw, stop sulking already! C’mon, I bought you an ice cream too!” 

Izumi looks over at Leo’s peace offering, then turns away. “I don’t need it.”

“Huh? You’re the one who got all mad that they charged us the full meal without giving us the dessert, and now that I treat you to dessert you get all huffy with me? You’re so mean!”

“Me, mean?” Izumi echoes scathingly. “How about you look at yourself in the mirror, Ou-sama?”

“Hey! That’s mean too!”

Izumi is quiet again, but then he says, “I don’t eat ice cream, or sweet things. Too many calories.”

“Huh? Who cares about it having too many calories or whatever? Ice cream is great, and makes me happy! It’ll make you happy too, I promise!”

“Like hell it would.” Izumi’s smile is strained. “You probably don’t need to care about these kinds of things, but I _am_ a model after all. I need to watch my figure.” 

“Oh.” Leo considers it. “Having to watch your figure... having to watch your words... I don’t really get that kind of stuff, but it sounds pretty rough.”

Izumi looks up at Leo suddenly; it’s the first time he has done so since they clashed at the restaurant. Then he looks away, almost embarrassed by his reaction. “...Yeah, it can be.”

The cars hurtle by on the main street like miniature rockets, and the silence is broken by Leo pressing the ice cream against Izumi’s cheek.

“Wha-” 

“Well, you let go of having to watch your words today, didn’t you?” Leo says, beaming. “So why not just let go of having to watch your figure today too? I promise I won’t tell your Manager.”

Izumi stares at Leo for a second longer than usual, then relents. Leo’s smile, he thinks, could melt the ice cream in his hand instantly.

“God, Manager is going to fucking kill me,” Izumi groans, tearing the packet open. Leo follows suit, and sticks his ice cream in his mouth. He waits for Izumi to continue. “If she finds out I yelled at you... I’m so fucking screwed. And it’s all your fault.”

Leo scrunches up his face, and maybe - just maybe - he feels a little bad. “It’s not _totally_ my fault, but... I won’t tell her! And I won’t tell her about you eating ice cream too! I swear! Pinky promise!”

He offers his pinky out for Izumi to scoff at. “It’s not only her I have to worry about. Now I’ve got to worry about you too.”

“Huh, why me?”

“You’re my client. I’m supposed to be nice to you, to make you fall in love with you. How the hell is that going to happen now that you’ve seen the real me? I’m cold and detached and foul-mouthed and sarcastic and utterly _unlovable_.”

A moment’s silence as Leo processes Izumi’s accusation.

“Huhhhhhh? Unlovable? What are you talking about?” Leo frowns. “No one in this world is unlovable, Sena — and you’re definitely not unlovable!”

Izumi grits his teeth. “Oh please, I know how unpleasant I am. If I don’t put up an act, people won’t want to hang around me.”

“Those people are just assholes!” Leo is on his feet, fuming. “You’re a great person, Sena! You’re quite funny when you’re being real with me, and I can tell you work really, really hard! Why would you be unlovable? I can’t imagine it!”

Izumi stares blankly at Leo. “Why are you... why are you so angry?”

“I’m angry at you for saying all these stupid, mean things about yourself! You just said you’re going to make me fall in love with you, right? Then just you watch! I will — I’ll fall in love with the real you!”

Leo’s nostrils flare, and Izumi feels his jaw slack involuntarily. Each word Leo says bites into him almost physically, cutting away at all his fears, his insecurities and his miseries. The gears start to turn, and his world revolves again.

“Really?” he says softly, still in disbelief. “You’ll fall in love with me?”

“Yep! I’m gonna fall real hard for the real Sena!” Leo’s anger fades away, and Izumi is blinded by how whole his smile is; he knows how brilliant that smile is, but has it always been this whole? This bright? This perfect? “But that’s only if you fall in love with me too!”

Somewhere at the back of his mind, Izumi hears his Manager’s command from long ago. ‘Never never never fall in love with your client! They’re just another client, another source of income — nothing else.’

Back then, he swore on his life never to fall in love. But now, he thinks - to hell with it! Under that earnest, shining gaze he yields.

“Alright,” he says. “I’ll... try to fall in love with you, Ou-sama. Though-” he laughs “-that’s pretty much impossible with that personality of yours.”

Leo squawks in indignance. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Izumi laughs again. “I’m kidding~”

He kisses him in full glow of the street lamps, tasting the soda ice cream that melts into a sticky mess in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck this is like super late i'm sorry hhhh
> 
> school life really gets you sometimes and maybe it's bc this was a longer chapter? idk but if you hung around and remembered this fic thanksss ꈍ .̮ ꈍ
> 
> also a) mama cameo! b) fuck this chapter is so choppy eugh and c) small edit on the number of chapters bc i miscalculated so now there'll be eight! yep thank you for reading friends i love izuleo


	4. sena's place

“That’s a nice smile, Leo-san. I like it a lot.”

Leo looks up from his notebook. “Oh, Mama! When did you arrive — I didn’t notice at all!”

Madara rests his chin on his hands. “Hm, about five minutes ago? I even ordered drinks, and they arrived before you noticed me. Oh, but I’m not mad or anything, don’t sweat it! I'm only saying this because I'm amazed by how absorbed you are in your songwriting.”

“Absorbed... mmm, maybe that’s the right word for it.” Leo spots the strawberry smoothie before him, and slides it closer. “Recently I’ve had so so so many ideas, and if I don’t write them down in time, I lose them! There’re so many tunes I need to transcribe from my head, I’m going crazy!”

“Crazy? Are you really? Didn’t you say it feels great to be overflowing with inspiration?”

“Did I say that? Well, maybe~”

Leo smiles again, and Madara nods. “I’m glad he’s making you happy.”

“Who? Sena? Yeah! He makes me really happy! I love being around him, it’s so much fun! And when I’m not around him I’m constantly thinking of him! That’s why all these new song ideas keep generating! ...Oh, I just thought of another one — listen, Mama! It goes hm hm hmmm~”

“Ah, that’s a nice tune.”

“Right? Am I a genius or what? Wahaha! Oh wait a minute, I should finish this song before I flesh the next one out more! Sorry, Mama!”

“No worries, no worries! Mama is more than satisfied knowing Leo-san is happy!”

“‘Leo-san’ is very, very happy!” Leo hums. “Oh oh! But you know what would make me even happier? If Sena lets me go over to his place!”

“Go over to Sena-san’s place?”

“That’s right! Y'know, he always complains about how small and dingy his apartment is, but whenever I ask to come over he says no!”

Madara cocks his head. “Hm, isn't it for his own privacy? I know you’re hitting it off with Sena-san, but you have to remember you’re his client. Maybe he has a policy against bringing clients back home..? Especially since he's not the kind who provides... overnight services.”

“Yeah yeah, client and all that.” Leo makes a face. “All that talk is soooo stuffy! I wanna see Sena’s place! And now that we’re talking about it, I’m not just going to go over to take a look - I’m going to stay overnight with him! Like a slumber party at Sena's!”

“O-overnight?” Madara’s jaw drops. “L-Leo-san, you _do_ understand that if he refuses to let you even come over, there’s no way Sena-san will let you spend the night in his house.”

Leo frowns, scratching the back of his head. “Hmph!” he goes. “We’ll see — and you know what, I’m not going to take no for an answer!”

♪

“What? No! Of course not!”

Flat-out rejection doesn’t deter Leo, he expected this. “Ehhh, why not?”

Izumi leans back against his chair, sighing. “We've been through this - you’re not allowed to come over to my apartment. How many times do I have to say it for it to go through your thick skull?”

“Well, I don’t think you’re ‘allowed’ to say that I have a thick skull either, Sena.”

Izumi flushes. “W- That’s- I... That's n-not the point! A-anyway, the point is — you’re not coming over! Especially not to stay overnight!”

“Why not overnight?”

“Didn’t I already _tell_ you I have a shoot early in the morning?” In a very elaborate motion, Izumi reaches up to hold his chin in his hand; the ring on his finger catches light and glints. “So you definitely can’t stay over tonight, got it? I don’t have time to... Ou-sama?”

Leo’s faze is transfixed to the ring. “Wh-what’s this?” he cries out, grabbing Izumi’s hand. “Why are you wearing a ring on your ring finger? Sena, are you cheating on me?”

His outburst catches a few unwitting glances and Izumi snatches his hand away. “Yeah right! Took you long enough to notice the damn ring.”

“Well? Why’re you wearing it? Who’re you marrying?”

“I’m not marrying anyone!” Izumi retorts. “Stop jumping to conclusions all the time, goddammit! But...” he smiles at the ring, almost excited just looking at it “...this ring is for an important shoot tomorrow. I landed a really big job, and I’m wearing it to prepare for-”

“You landed a really big job?” Leo echoes, slamming his hands onto the table. “Congratulations! I knew you could do it — how could anyone resist employing you, honestly? This calls for a celebration - at your house!”

Izumi’s expression softens. “T-thanks Ou-sama, I really appreciate your s- wait, what did you say after that? Hell no, we are not going to celebrate at-”

♪

“Woahhhhh, this place is so cool!”

Izumi shifts about in the car seat. After all he’d said and how much he’d resisted... here he is, sitting before his house in Leo’s car, with Leo bouncing about in the driver’s seat.

“It’s just an ordinary apartment complex,” he points out. “Are you satisfied looking at it? Will you go home now?”

Leo cackles with laughter. “Nonsense, Sena! You accompanied me to buy booze for tonight, didn’t you? And I brought my toothbrush and all, so let’s get wasted!”

Izumi slides off his seatbelt and rolls his eyes. “That doesn't make any sense.... And like I said, I have a shoot early next morning.”

They take the elevator up to Izumi’s apartment, and Izumi pauses before the door.

“What’s wrong? Go on, open it.”

“Yeah, I will,” Izumi says, but again he hesitates. His gaze falls to his shoes. “It’s just... it’s the first time I had someone who isn’t my family come over. So it’s... kinda... uh...”

It’s almost impossible for Izumi to continue. Leo guesses at what he means, and is touched. “That means a lot to me,” he says, reaching for Izumi’s hand. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Izumi instinctively freezes up, and scowls in deep satisfaction. “So don’t complain or anything if it’s plain, okay? I told you I’m not rich or anything.”

“Complain? I would never!”

Izumi opens the door, and in an instant engulfs Leo in a whole new world. The walls are a pristine white, adorned with select landscape prints. Rows of bookshelves are lined with fashion magazines, carefully categorised by year. Atop, plump little succulents fan their leaves to the open window and waning sunlight.

But more than anything, he thinks to himself, enthralled, this is Sena's apartment. A one-room apartment with nothing more than a kitchen and a toilet, an abode hidden away from the public eye, a place called home by one lonely, lonely person.

“Are you done gawking?” Izumi asks, fidgeting about beside him. “Take your shoes off and come in.”

Leo does so, following Izumi in. They sit by the coffee table, quiet as Leo opens the pack of beer.

“Th-”

“It's a very nice house,” Leo suddenly says, grinning at Izumi. "Really feels like you... like it's your place. I can feel your presence all about."

"W-what are you talking about?"

Leo looks around, and can almost see a figment of Izumi, cooing as he waters his succulents, dusting at his magazines, primping himself before his vanity. They morph and vanish before his eyes, then take shape in the real and breathing (albeit breathing a little too quickly) Izumi sitting next to him. His presence is all about, and Leo feels an unfamiliar sense of safety and protection. He likes it.

“Yeah, I really like your house. Just wanna live here forever-” he flops to the ground, his eyes smiling onto Izumi “-with you.”

“W-wha-”

“Juuust kidding,” goes Leo, pushing himself back up to get a closer look at how red Izumi's face is. “Your place is so comfy because it has you in it. Anyway, I'd need to go home eventually, y'know? My family would fall apart without me! Hey, don't make that face as if you don't believe it - they would fall apart, I swear! When I told my little sister I'd be staying overnight with someone, you should've seen the tears in her eyes!”

“Little sister? I didn't know you had a little sister.”

“Hn? Have I never told you about my beloved baby sister Ruka? Really? Oh God let me tell you all about her....”

With beer cans in their hands they clink the evening away, until it creeps past ten and Izumi gets up.

“It's getting pretty late,” he murmurs, raking a hand through his hair. “Sorry Leo, do you mind if I leave you to take a shower? I'd need to head to bed at about ten thirty.”

“Eh, ten thirty? The night is still young, you can't go to sleep at ten thirty!”

“Yes I can, and I will,” Izumi says, fussing about with his towel and pyjamas. “I need to get up at six thirty tomorrow, and I need at least eight hours of sleep.”

“Eight hours?” Leo's jaw slacks, and he mumbles rather guiltily to himself, “I haven't slept that long since _high school_.”

Izumi feels a pinch of irritation at this confession. How strange. “That's why your complexion is so bad, idiot! I don't care, lights will be off at ten thirty and you'd either have to deal with it or go home.”

“I'll deal with it, I'll deal with it!” Leo cries, pouting a little. “God, you can be so cranky at times. You better don't complain if I move around because I can't sleep!”

Izumi scoffs, removing the ring on his finger and placing it back in ring box. “You already know I will complain.”

He enters the shower, wondering why he felt that pinch of irritation at Leo's lack of sleep.' Stupid Ou-sama,' he thinks, 'you need to take better care of yourself. If not... I'll have to do that for you.'

Then it's Leo's turn in the shower, and Izumi gets to work rolling out the futons. He's halfway through the second one when Leo steps out from the toilet, shrieking in horror.

“...What is it?”

“Why are you rolling out two futons?” Leo demands. “Put it back, put it back!”

“Put it back?” Izumi repeats. “Then where the hell will you sleep?”

Leo points at the first futon on the floor. “Where else but the futon of course - with you!”

Izumi knows his face is turning red, so he jerks away. “I-idiot, there isn't space for two-”

“It's okay, we can squeeze~ Won't it be nice to squeeze together, hm Sena?”

Izumi doesn't answer; he can't answer, and is still dumbfounded by Leo's sheer pluck even as he slips into the futon with Leo. He can smell his shampoo on his hair, and can feel his own heart throb.

“See, isn't it nice to squeeze together?” asks Leo excitedly, squirming about in the futon.

“Stop moving around so much! Geez.”

Leo frowns into his chest. “Geez yourself! You're such a spoilsport, Sena!”

The silence permeates, as certain as the thrumming of Izumi's heart. He lets a breath escape, soft and airy, waiting for what Leo has to say next.

“Sena,” he says, sleep slurring his words, “I know I've said it so many times but... I'm so happy you let me come over. And stay over. Thank you.”

In spite of himself Izumi smiles. He holds Leo a little closer in his arms, cherishing the warmth that belongs to no one but him.

“I'm glad too, you know,” he whispers to Leo. “Thanks for... coming over.”

Again he waits, hopeful for Leo's reply. But then he's met with a loud and unbecoming snort, and Leo snuggling deeper into his grip.

“What the hell,” Izumi says, somehow impressed. “You're the one who said you wouldn't be able to sleep - what gives you the right to for asleep before I do, huh?”

His fingers drum against Leo's back, and he thinks to himself, 'I could live like this forever.

'Just like this. You... and me.' 

That night Izumi sleeps, more rested than he's been for years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhh hey it's been awhile!!!! lmaO i wanted to at least update once a month but then i died before during and after exams and now i produce.... This
> 
> it's so fuckin choppy (i always say this but eugh it really is) and sappy and the editing is meh bc i wrote it in random spurts but i did my best and hopefully i'll update sooner next time?? bc the next chapter will be shorter i think aaah idk thank you all for humouring me ╥﹏╥ i love izuleo falling asleep together and being domestic together and izuleo ♡


	5. ring

The first thing he hears when he awakes is the alarm clock, blaring vehemently into his ears. His eyes fly open, and it takes him a moment to register that he is Sena Izumi, still in bed and that in a little over of an hour he has to be at his shoot.

“What the f-”

He's on his feet in an instant, disentangling himself from Leo and scrambling to throw something presentable on.

“...Sena?”

Izumi pauses as Leo stares up at him from the futon, his eyes fluttering with sleep. “Wha you doin', Sena?”

“It's almost seven,” he tells Leo, kneeling down to address him directly. His bangs are so messy that Izumi can't help forget his predicament for a second to brush through Leo's hair with his fingers. “For some stupid reason I didn't hear the alarm go off the first time so I need to rush over to my shoot.”

“Mmm, you're leavin' me?”

“Yeah I have to, I'm sorry.” He surprises himself with how natural it is for him to lean down and press his lips against Leo's forehead. “You can sleep for a little longer if you want to. There's some bread in the top shelf and a Tupperware of sliced avocado the fridge if you're hungry. I'll leave a set of keys on top of the side drawer by the door so use it to lock the door when you leave. Just pass it back to me when we meet for dinner tomorrow. Oh, and comb your hair before you leave, okay?”

Leo is too sleepy to do anything but nod away obediently. “You're such a mom, Sena.”

“And you're such an insufferable child!” Izumi flicks at Leo's forehead, earning an indignant cry from Leo. “Whatever, I'm going to work now. Bye.”

“Bye bye, Sena...” Leo slinks back under the covers, snuggling into the part of the futon Izumi had occupied. Standing up, Izumi grabs his bag and moves to the door. He pauses for a second as he fumbles with his keys, gaze falling on the still beauty of Leo's face.

Then he unlocks the door and rushes to the station. The ring for his shoot winks against the slants of morning light, forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the day on the coffee table.

♪

“He’s finally here,” yells the Producer as Izumi bursts into the room. “Fuckin’ finally, honestly.”

Izumi is still gasping for air as he falls onto the chair, the makeup team clucking over him. “I-I’m so sorry for being late... I didn’t hear the alarm, a-and-” 

Manager appears before him, her face taut with disapproval. “This is the biggest job you’ve landed in _months_ ,” she hisses into his ear. “How could you have overslept? Tardiness is looked down upon in the industry, and you should know this better than anything! To be late on such a big shoot — such mistakes will leave a black mark on your reputation! Is that what you want, Izumi?”

The comb rakes through his hair with a little too much force, and he grimaces. “I didn’t think I’d be late. I set an alarm, went to bed early, and-”

“Whatever, all that doesn’t matter anymore.” Manager flaps her hand at him, blatantly disinterested in his excuse. “We’ll talk about it later, so for now-”

“Excuse me, Sena-san! Would it be possible for you return the ring for the shoot now? We’ll just need to check it for any scratches and polish it again before we use it!”

“Oh yes, no p-”

His blood freezes over as he feels the gaping emptiness of his pocket. Where is it? He swore he put the box inside his pocket yesterday.

“Oh fuck.” He doesn’t react to Manager’s shock at such uncouth words leaving his mouth, for suddenly he's seized by such raw, unfettered fear that it numbs him completely. The realisation chokes him, and Izumi lets escape a shaky exhalation.

The staff who had approached him from the ring tilts his head, prompting again, “Sena-san, the ring..?”

He can see it so damn clearly now, almost as if there had been a camera capturing his every move, the shutters snapping like shackles against his memory. He watches in horror as he removes the ring from his ring finger, placing it gingerly in its box to prepare for his shower. Mentally, he had made a note to himself to bring it along for his shoot the next morning, but clearly it didn't stick. His mind had sung to the tune of Leo Leo Leo, and any reminders of the shoot - of the ring - had been lost in the flurry of thoughts.

“I'm... I'm so sorry,” he says slowly, each word striking him like fists, “I... didn't bring the ring.”

Manager's eyes almost pops out of their sockets. “You WHAT?”

“I didn't-”

Producer had somehow overheard the conversation, and storms over, a ball of fire.

“What did you just say, Sena?” he demands. “Where is the ring?” Izumi swallows hard. “It's at home, sir.”

“For fuck's sake,” says Producer, glaring sharply at Izumi. “ _You_ were the one who wanted to wear it around for a few days to prepare for this shoot or some shit, and _you_ were the one who swore to bring it back in pristine condition. So what the fuck is it doing 'at home', huh Sena?”

His eyes are hot and wet now, and he blinks, struggling to keep the tears from falling. God, he hates crying in front of others. But it's his fault — he was careless, and forgot to bring the most important thing to the shoot. There's no way he can cover for his blunder, and he knows it.

“L-like I said, I'm really sorry,” he tries again, voice trembling. “If I grab a taxi and rush home now, I'll be back in less than-”

“Does it matter how damn fast you can retrieve it? Use your brain for a second - if you even have one - and think. Let's say you make it back in an hour. Then what? You still need your hair and makeup to be done, and don't you forget that you're already an hour late. How long do you want us to wait for you? Do you think you're that important?”

His words silence Izumi, and sneering, Producer turns onto Manager.

“And you!” he says, jabbing a finger at her. “What kind of shitty Manager are you, anyway? How can you just let him loose and not remind him about such important matters? Shit, you two really suck.”

Izumi has never drowned before, nor had an experience anywhere close to it, but if he had to describe it it'd be how he felt right now. He can feel his heart beat, heavy and languid, and it sinks deeper and deeper. This is to drown, this is to despair; the futility of everything arrests him painfully.

“Are we really going to have to wait for him? I have another job in two hours,” he hears a makeup artist whisper to someone.

“What the hell, I woke up early for this?” he hears a staff member mutter under his breath.

He realises it more than ever as the voices swathed him in their reproach and consume him — his mistake doesn't only affect him and his reputation. It affects everyone, from his Manager to the makeup artists to Producer. Almost instantly the weight of their gazes fall upon him, and the humiliation makes him crumble.

“-na~”

Izumi shuts his eyes; he doesn't want to be acknowledged, to hear his name, to remember how badly he messed up.

“Oi, Sena~ Don't ignore me!”

That voice... but that's-

“Ou-sama?” Izumi exclaims, opening his eyes and he balks for a second. Indeed, it's Leo, standing right before his eyes. He springs forward, pausing only centimeters away from him. “What are you... what are you doing here?”

Leo grins. “Surprised, aren't you? Hehe, actually, I've got a delivery for you! Please sign here, sir~”

“'Sir'? Delivery? Ou-sama, wh-”

There's a flash of light as Leo whips out a little black box and opens it; within it, the ring glimmers, brilliant as ever.

“T-the ring! Ou-sama, you brought it!”

“Hell yeah I did,” Leo says, pushing the box into Izumi's hands. “Honestly, you're so forgetful! I got the shock of my life when I saw that you left it behind, y'know? Good thing you told me where the shoot was gonna be, so I could take a taxi over to deliver it immediately! What do you think, Sena? I'm great, aren't I? Wahaha!”

Leo's sudden appearance had caused quite a stir, and in the midst of the surprised chatter Producer finds his way over.

“Who're you?” he demands, disgruntled. But his demeanour changes entirely once he lays his eyes on the ring in Izumi's hands. “Wait a minute, is that... You brought the ring?”

“Uh huh.” Leo scrunches his nose. “Is it that big of a deal?”

“Oh thank God, today might not be as shit after all,” goes Producer, barely acknowledging Leo. He seizes the ring box and passes it to a staff member, instructing them, “Quick, get the ring ready for the shoot. If its condition is okay, we'll start in thirty minutes. Makeup team, come here for a moment.”

The room bursts back into life with the crisis averted, but it's a blur before Izumi. For some reason he's rooted to the spot, thoughts racing as Leo looks around the room.

“Sheesh,” goes Leo, rubbing the back of his neck. “That big guy didn't have to literally snatch the damn ring from you, did he? Talk about manners!”

“It is.”

Leo glances over at Izumi quizzically. “Huh?”

“It is a big deal,” Izumi says. He looks down at his hands, then back up at Leo. “You... saved me. They'll probably gloss over my mistake this time round because it turned out for the better in the end, but if you hadn't came after me I would have lost everything. My reputation, my career, my future... everything.”

“H-huh? What are you saying, Sena? Don't exaggerate, I didn't do anything spectacular!”

But you did, Izumi wants to tell him. He wants to tell him how brutal this world is, where even a simple mistake could get you blacklisted for life. He wants to tell him he doesn't deserve such kindness, that he doesn't deserve someone to chase after him and help him for something he should be accountable for. He wants to tell him how grateful and how touched he is for Leo to have done so, but the words fail him.

“Thank you,” Izumi says. “Thank you.”

“But I didn't...” Leo starts, then trails off. “Oh, whatever. I'm glad I could help you out, Sena.”

Help him out, huh? Back then, Izumi would rather die than be indebted to someone else. But not now. Even though he couldn't convey everything he thought and felt to Leo, he knows that somehow Leo understood it. Isn't it funny, how just by standing before him in sweatpants and unruly hair, Leo looked so damn charming, like his knight in shining armor or something.

“Anyway, your shoot is gonna start soon, right? I should probably leave.”

“Yeah. Thanks for everything, really.”

Leo laughs. “It's nothing. But before I go...” he pauses to fumble through his backpack “....I almost forgot! You didn't eat breakfast, did you? Here, I made you a sandwich!”

“You... what?”

Izumi peers into the paper bag and is surprised by the avocado toast Leo had prepared for him. “Ou-sama, you're amazing. Really.”

“Wahaha, I know right!”

Leo's grin is so obnoxious; in any other situation Izumi would've taken back his compliment but given all he has done today, Izumi doesn't. He closes the distance between them and kisses him.

It feels different, somehow. Something indefinite has shifted, and Izumi is breathless when he pulls away seconds later. Leo probably feels the difference too, because an eternity passes between them before Izumi steps back, embarrassed for some reason.

“I'll see you later, I guess.”

“Y-yeah.”

The makeup team swarms him when he finally sits back down, but his eyes never leave Leo's slowly disappearing silhouette. Something indefinite has shifted, and now a world he never dared to explore pulls him in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: i think i'll update ch5 sooner!
> 
> also me:
> 
> i'm sorry i got fuckin distracted! and then i keep forgetting to write bc i'm just gaming all my spare time away lol.... anyway here's the turning point! or something like that? idk but sena showing weakness.... (*꒦ິㅿ꒦ີ)
> 
> in any case i'm going on ~vacation~ and i write better when wifi Sucks but i know better than to make promises at this point ! i really want to finish as much of this fic as possible before the end of 2018, so i hope y'all have a happy holidays! and continue supporting izuleo


	6. falling

“It’s fine! How many times do I need to tell you that — you don’t have to keep thanking me!”

With how much Leo boasts of himself and fishes for compliments, one would expect him to be able to take a couple of ‘thank you’s pretty well. But weeks have passed and whenever the incident is brought up, two little red spots will appear on Leo’s cheeks without fail as he tries to dismiss his importance.

“It’s a big deal to me,” Izumi insists. “The shoot turned out really well in the end, and I’ve got quite a number of new job offers from it. It’s thanks to you, Ou-sama.”

Leo splutters, unable to handle the next string of compliments. Then he composes himself, choosing to escape his embarrassment with a change in subject. “Y’know, I’ve been thinking about this for awhile... I don’t really want you to call me Ou-sama anymore.”

It takes Izumi by surprise. “But you were the one who told me to refer to you by that!”

“Yeah, I know! But I was just teasing you back then, and I didn’t really expect it to stick,” Leo says, wrinkling his nose. He picks up his drink, peering at Izumi through the glass. “Why don’t you just call me by name, or something casual? But not by that stiff old ‘Tsukinaga-san’ like last time!”

“I see.” Izumi wets his lips. “If not ‘Tsukinaga-san’, then... how about... L-Leo-kun?”

He’d rather die than tell Leo that he’s already experimented with how else he’d call Leo in his head. It’s been a stupid but secret dream of his to call him familiarly, to call him ‘Leo-kun’, and now saying it out loud and to Leo’s face makes him a little more happy than he should be.

But he’s nowhere as happy as Leo, eyes shining bright as day. “I like it a lot, Sena!” he says, beaming. “Say my name more — more! Ooh, I feel a new wave of inspiration from this!”

“A-as if I’d repeat your name for no reason, dumbass!”

“Aw, what’s with ‘dumbass’? I like ‘Leo-kun’ much, much more!”

Izumi picks up the dinner knife and smiles thinly. “Say more unnecessary stuff, and I’ll refer to you solely by dumbass from here on, dumbass.”

“Hmph! Sena’s a big meanie!”

“And Leo-kun’s a dumbass.”

“Hm, maybe I am~ but I really need to write this chord down, Sena! It’s really good, it goes falala! Fa!”

“Why are you singing it to me, I don’t know anything about music,” Izumi shoots back, but he’s already sifting through his bag for his notebook and pen. Being with Leo has taught him to always have writing materials on hand, lest risk a crisis. “Here.”

Leo receives them gratefully and sets to work instantly. His dinner is cold, half-eaten and forgotten amidst their conversation. “Thanks! ...It’d be neat if you knew how to read music or sing or something. Sena could be an idol or something.”

“Me? An idol?” Izumi laughs at the very notion of it. “I can’t sing or dance for shit, Leo-kun.”

“Yeah, but you can always learn,” Leo rebuts, scratching his head with the back of the pen. “It’ll be nice to hear you sing one of my songs.”

“S-sing-“

Izumi doesn’t say anything for at least half a minute, because he suddenly remembers that Leo is a mini celebrity in the songwriting industry and his most recent compositions have been about — oh God, they’ve been about him. Him, of all things.  
“You- you know, I don’t _have_ to be an idol to sing your songs.”

“Hm, fair point.” Leo looks up from his scribbles, and taps his head with the pen. “Okay, let’s go karaoke together on our next date!”

“Karaoke? ...I’ve only been to karaoke like- twice in my life.”

“Twice? God, are you missing out! Don’t worry, we’ll have lots of fun together! Wahaha!”

There’s a break in the conversation as Leo continues with his impromptu songwriting, and Izumi observes him.

Pretty... Leo is really pretty. His face is small and his hair, bright as dawn, frames his cheeks clumsily, perfectly. And perhaps it’s because of that episode that he now notices how in spite of his small frame, Leo’s shoulders seem almost broader, more dependable. As if they bore enough strength to support Izumi if he ever decided he’d like to rest on them.

How foolish he had been back then to critique Leo’s appearance with some self-instated all-importance. And to think that he had deemed him only mediocre in attractiveness! But at least- if his past self did get something right, it’s that his eyes were and still are unbelievably pretty.

They’re overtly expressive too, widening when surprised and glinting when mischievous and shining when happy. Izumi is ashamed to realise that he could spend hours just observing Leo work his magic, with eyes ablaze with unparalleled focus.

Honestly, what’s wrong with him? He would never have imagined himself to be so... interested in another human being. To be excited to meet them again, to feel such happiness, such mirth, such exasperation when with them, and to be reluctant to leave them... that’s not Izumi at all. If anything, he’d used to choke from the dread of having to meet with his clients, and then tremble with relief when the ‘date’ ends.

So maybe it’s just because it’s him. Because it’s Leo. Because maybe... just maybe... he’d fallen in love w-

“...T-that’s impossible!”

Leo pauses. “What?”

“Huh?”

“Did you say something? Sorry, I didn’t hear it.”

“Oh.” He didn’t even realise he’d spoken out loud; he’d been too shaken by where his train of thought took him. “N-nothing. Just talking to myself.”

“Talking to yourself?” Leo repeats teasingly. “Oh, I get it — you’re lonely when I’m not talking to you, aren’t you? Wahaha, don’t worry, don’t worry! I’m almost done with this bit, so I’ll talk to you again. Okay, Sena?”

“I’m not lonely!” Izumi snaps back, but Leo has already retreated back into his world of music. He doesn’t want to think about that - about anything - anymore, and he wills himself not.

“Okay, done done!”

“Finally,” Izumi says, glancing at the freshly written sheet music. “Is that a love song too?”

“Yep! It’s my... onetwothreefourfivesixseveneight... nine? Ten! Tenth one since I met you!”

“Tenth love song, huh.” Something surfaces at the back of his mind, something about a dozen, something about— no, stop. He mustn’t think, he’ll just end up somewhere he doesn’t want to be. “In a span of two, three months. You’re kind of impressive, Leo-kun.”

Leo’s smile is like the Sun. “Not ‘kind of’ Sena — I _am_ impressive. But in any case, it’s all thanks to you!”

Izumi blinks once. Then he blinks again, laughing. “Thanks to me? I thought you said you’re the prodigy when it comes to songwriting here, and I can’t even read whatever the hell you just scrawled out.”

“Y’know, Sena you can be really thick sometimes,” Leo says, and makes a face. “Come on, I’m obviously saying it’s thanks to you that I’m able to come up with so many love songs in the first place! Because I have so many fun and happy experiences with you, that’s why I have so much to write about!

“I mean back then, it’d take me _weeks_ to churn out a love song - with or without the lyrics - because I could only write them based of the trashy teen love movies I’d seen. You are what inspires me, Sena.”

“O-oh. Wow.”

Izumi doesn’t know what to say; he knows his response is lackluster because Leo makes another face. But sometimes Leo is capable of saying things that render him speechless, and in an instant he’s taken back to that day when Leo handed him the ring with the most breathtaking smile on his face.

“I-I mean, uh, I didn’t know I could really do that. Be... inspiring? Inspiring to you. Yeah.”

He turns away a bit, embarrassed.

“Pft,” goes Leo, and Izumi sees him struggle to hold in his laughter. “Isn’t it a bit too late to be so moved by the fact that I get inspiration from you? Heck, you’ve literally sat next to me and read the lyrics I wrote — did you really not notice they’re not based on my experiences with you?”

“Of course I noticed!” Izumi shoots back. “But... but it’s not like they’re about _me_ per say. They could be about any other couple!”

“Yeah right. Which other couple would throw a perfectly good bowl of food at the other at a high-end restaraunt?”

Izumi’s cheeks flare up. “That’s-”

“Ooh, Sena’s embarrassed again,” goes Leo, twirling his pen. “Hehe, Sena you’re so funny! Tell you what, I’ll write a song just for you!”

If Izumi’s cheeks had been red, they’re as hot as a volcanic eruption right now. A song... for him? Just for him and no one else?

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” says Leo, scrunching his nose at having to repeat himself to a dumbfounded Izumi. “I-I mean, I’m not really that good at expressing myself outside of music, so I guess that’s the best way for me to express my feelings of... of love.”

Leo looks down at his hands, awkward, and Izumi has to hold back a laugh. So he teases Izumi for being embarrassed, and now _he_ gets embarrassed by his own idea? What a dumbass.

“That’d be really nice,” Izumi says, smiling a little. “I’m looking forward to it, Leo-kun.”

♪

The date ends as it always does; the streets whirl by as Leo drives Izumi home, a distant swirl of nightlights and approaching dusk. They’re so swept up in laughter that Izumi doesn’t even notice they’ve reached until Leo parks the car next to his apartment and lets go of the steering wheel, reluctant.

“Thanks for driving me home,” he says, and leans in to kiss Leo. “See you.”

“See you,” Leo breathes.

He watches as Izumi leaves the car and enters the apartment building, but doesn’t drive away. No, Leo waits for Izumi to get safely into the apartment, the telltale sign being the rattling of the window facing the main road as Izumi opens it and pops his head out.

Leo grins when he sees him. Leaning precariously out of his car window, he waves his arms about, violent in motion. “Bye bye, Senaaaaaa! See you!”

There’s quite a distance from where Izumi looks on, so Leo is nothing more than a screaming orange blur. Izumi can’t help but laugh, but he shouts back, “Bye, Leo-kun! See you!”

Then there’s a change in Leo’s movement — he stops swinging about like a monkey and instead holds up his arms in what seems to be... the shape of a heart? Izumi bites back a smile.

“Bye bye, Sena! I love you!”

A pause. Izumi doesn’t catch himself yelling that right back at Leo until it’s too late; even then, he surprises himself with how... genuine it is.

“I love you too, Leo-kun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again...... after like six months..... i am Sorry i thought it'd be a quick chapter bc it's kind of a filler but HA
> 
> god come june 2019 and it's been a year since i started this fic and i'm still not finished what a mess,, but it's okay i'm prolonging izuleo falling in love (°◡°♡).:｡
> 
> since it is a filler chapter there's not much to say?? other than i really hope you like izuleo banter and izumi being like 'o fuck i am in love' and spoiler alert hehe next chapter won't be so fluffy so i hope it can come soon see y'all again then


End file.
